During his three seasons at Connecticut, Kemba Walker produced countless unforgettable moments. He played on two teams that reached the Final Four, contributed to two 30-win seasons, and led the nation in scoring during his junior year in 2010–11. That scoring prowess earned him All-American recognition and placed him on course to become a top-10 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Yet there’s little doubt that Walker’s most extraordinary stretch came during his final set of 11 collegiate games—games that brought his storied career to a triumphant close.
After dropping four of its final five regular-season games, UConn entered the Big East Tournament at 21–9 overall (9–9 in conference), desperately needing wins to improve its NCAA Tournament chances. Walker came out firing, piling up 26 points against DePaul, 28 against Georgetown, and 24 against a third-ranked Pitt squad. That three-game surge was enough to seal an NCAA Tournament bid, but Walker was far from finished.
In the Big East semifinals against Syracuse, Walker erupted again—33 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals—carrying UConn to an overtime victory. A visibly drained Walker still managed 19 points in the Big East final against Louisville, pushing the Huskies to a fifth win in five days and making history in the process. It was clear that UConn, powered by Walker’s heroics, had transformed from a slumping team into a force to be reckoned with.
Over in the NCAA Tournament, Walker kept his foot on the gas. He opened with a double-double against Bucknell, followed by a 33-point barrage against Cincinnati to reach the Sweet 16. Against Kawhi Leonard and San Diego State, Walker’s 36 points propelled the Huskies into the Elite Eight, where he helped down Arizona with a 20-point, seven-assist outing. By the time UConn arrived at the Final Four, few doubted the inevitable outcome.
UConn’s narrow 56–55 victory over Kentucky featured another clutch effort from Walker, who finished with 18 points and seven assists. He then spearheaded a more comfortable win over Butler in the National Championship Game, capping an astonishing end-of-season run. Across 11 straight games, Walker refused to let the Huskies falter, delivering one of the greatest March performances in college basketball history.